The Greatest Gift
by Aleanbh
Summary: 6x13 Tag, Lisbon and Jane discuss many gifts they've given and received from one another, and in the end realise the greatest gift of all. Jane x Lisbon


_**AN:** Post 6x13 tag! I just started typing without a plan really and this is what happened! I really enjoyed the story in this episode, but I really missed Lisbon - 4.5 mins of her is not enough for me for the 2nd Character I think! And I was expecting and hoping for more of the Rigsbys, but we'll see what happens next weekend! In case you're wondering, Silver Decade will probably be updated by Saturday of this week and then hopefully we'll go back to more regular updates. I hope you enjoy, please do review if you do!_

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Lisbon leaves Fischer alone in the office. She hasn't seen Jane this long while. She misses him, and decides that that's okay. Spying him sitting on his sofa, she makes her way over to him and plops down beside him. She follows Jane's gaze to the room she has just left, and together they watch the impact of his gift.

"That was really lovely of you, Jane." Lisbon nods to Fischer who stands, unmoving from where Lisbon had previously left her. She suddenly seems to remember that she's standing in an office of glass walls twirling a child's magic wand round her head, and they watch together as the enchanted look on her face falls to a self conscious flush of embarrassment and pleasure as she looks around to see if anyone has seen the slip in her professional demeanour. She doesn't see them watching her however, and her face brightens to a bemused smile as she looks back at the magic wand she holds in both her hands.

Jane says nothing.

"That was nice of you, Jane," Lisbon repeats. "It seems to mean a lot to her." Lisbon turns to Jane, who still appears to be watching Fischer, a smile on his face, but with an involuntary jerk of her head to reassess the situation, Lisbon realises that Jane is looking past Fischer now, seemingly lost in a thought.

"Jane?" Lisbon asks, softly digging an elbow into his ribs. "Jane..." she trails off and regrets interrupting him immediately. She sees the moment she brings him back down to earth, sees the thought he'd been caught in fade and die in front of his eyes. He blinks, and turns his face to hers gently.

"It just reminded me... I'd forgotten." His voice is low, and Lisbon knows this is for her ears only. "On Charlotte's fourth birthday she dressed up as a fairy." He looks down and sighs a smile out softly. "White dress, wings, wand – the works. Wore it all day and fell asleep in it that night. She-" He pauses. "She loved it. I'd forgotten." He looks up to Lisbon and meets her affectionate, supportive gaze. "Long time ago now," he says. She nods.

He's been doing this more often, Lisbon has noticed. Little memories of his past, shared more easily with her. He seems to her to be remembering more of the good times, and less of the bad. She knows it's a good thing. Progress.

"Poor Fischer," he muses now "I don't think she ever had the chance to play at being a princess the way she wanted to."

"Not all little girls want to be princesses, Jane," Lisbon chides, wagging a finger.

"True," Jane nods wisely. "But Fischer did. And you."

"Me?!" Lisbon squeaks. "I don't think so."

Jane crosses his arms and taps a finger against his lips.

"Oh but you did though, Lisbon, that has already been established."

"Me? No. You're very much mistaken."

"Now, now, Lisbon," Jane chides, clearly taking much too much joy from this for Lisbon's liking. "Don't get on the defensive just because you're worried I didn't get you a present."

"I'm not worried you didn't get me a present," Lisbon says smugly, a sly smile on her lips. "I know you did. You love getting me presents. You've been doing it for years. Besides – it's your turn. I got you those socks."

"Oh yes, the socks... Aaaah..." Jane agrees, caught out, but he recovers quickly. "This is true, dear Lisbon. I've been helping you with your own Princess aspirations for long and many a year."

"What?" Lisbon yelps, her smugness forgotten. "No, you haven't!"

"I beg your pardon, I certainly have!" Jane argues. "I believe it was I tried to gift you a beautiful diamond tiara to allow you to live your Princess dreams on a crime scene once!"

Lisbon scoffs. "_Please_," she says.

"And when you were donning that beautiful if somewhat impractical pink bridesmaid's frock in your office that day, I certainly didn't object to that."

Lisbon looks at him from under her eyes. She doesn't want to play this game, but he's pulling her in. "That wasn't a gift," she points out.

She can see the amusement in his eyes. He nods gracefully. "I agree to concede that point," he says. "However, I did attempt to give you emeralds fit for a queen, and you just shot me down," he recalls.

Lisbon scrunches her face up. "Really?" she asks. "You're going to go there?"

Jane is getting excited now, she can see the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Strawberries!" he near yells, and Lisbon sees Wylie look over as he gets up from his desk. "T'was many a time I got you a present of strawberries – and apples!" he adds earnestly. "Only the finest delicacies for Princess Lisbon, please." He pauses, and she can see the moment another thought comes to mind "The birthday pony! Oh, the finest of steeds! Only the finest of great steeds, delivered to the Kingdom of Fair CBI, fit only for a Birthday Princess," he teases.

Lisbon laughs. It's good to see him happy.

Jane smiles at her. "What?" he asks.

She shrugs. "Nothing," she says. "Feels like old times."

He beams at her, and she can't help but grin back.

"What can I say, Queen Lisbon, I tried my best."

"And when you fizzled out of "princess presents"," she laughs, "you ploughed ahead and bought me a new sofa. Christ, Jane, a sofa of all things!"

"Don't undermine the importance of a good sofa, Lisbon. It's very important."

Lisbon pats the sofa beside her. "How's this one working out for you?" she asks, her question fraught, pressing, hiding the questions she'd rather not ask.

"Better than expected," he says, and she knows he means more than that.

"That covers a multitude," she muses. She nudges him softly again. "You ever miss the old one?"

"Ah, it was a great sofa," Jane says, leaning his head back on this new one. "It felt safe, and secure. Hard to believe it's all gone."

"It was a hell of a sofa," Lisbon smiles sadly.

"It sure was."

They are silent for a while. It's then they notice the office has mostly emptied.

"So about that gift," Jane says finally.

"Jane, I was kidding. You don't need to get me a gift. I think we've proved there's been more than enough over the years. I should probably get started on paying you back with some of your own."

"No."

"Huh?" Lisbon turns to look at him.

"Lisbon, surely you know, you've given me more than enough. I can never repay you for all you've done for me. I don't want anything in return."

"Me neither!" Lisbon argues, but falls silent. "That's a lie. I want this." She gestures between the two of them.

"This?" Jane asks, incredulous.

"This," Lisbon confirms. "All the times you've been gone, Jane, it was never the big gestures I missed. Ponies are all well and good – I loved mine – but it was _you_ I missed when you left, not things you got me. I missed _you_. I missed _this_. Now that I have this back, I don't need any other gifts. I've got you back. That's all I wanted since you left. I wanted _us_ back."

Jane says nothing for a long while, and Lisbon flushes with the idea that he has misunderstood.

"I mean, Jane, I me-"

"I know what you mean, Lisbon. I missed this too."

Lisbon moves closer to him, her head daring ever closer to his shoulder.

"Good."

"For the record," Jane whispers a little later, "I wouldn't have _got _you anything. I'd have made you a swing. Like the old one I know you had at home. I know you loved it, loved to be pushed, further, higher until you felt you might make it right the way round, a ring around the branch."

"Yes," Lisbon breathes, her head a dozy breath from his shoulder now. "Wonderful."

Jane imagines little Lisbon, running rings and flying rings around the trees of home. Truth is, he has a present for her, and it too is a ring, his ring. He won't be giving it to her today, or tomorrow, or even next week, but he will. She will mind it and guard it as he opens his heart to her, one final gift.

Jane is almost sure Lisbon is dozing now, and the offices are empty, so he lets her sleep on, and he closes his eyes too. It's only moments later, however, that her phone begins to ring, and jarring back to reality, she stands to reach and get it. It's then they hear what's happened to Rigsby and LaRoche, and it's then it feels like old times in not so nice a way.

"Oh no," he hears Lisbon say into the phone, and his heart sinks. "Oh, no."

In an instant he is at her side, and when she hangs up she tells him what's happened.

Too much, too soon, Jane thinks. Post-Red John was supposed to be peaceful, beautiful, wonderful. It's all crashing down now, he thinks, but then he feels a small warm hand grasp his own, and he knows she will keep him together. That has always been her greatest gift to him.


End file.
